The present invention relates to an ATM signaling apparatus and an ATM signaling method and more particularly to an ATM signaling apparatus, which makes communications between communication apparatuses such as a Private Branch Exchange (PBX) using an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) communication network, at a Switched Virtual Connection (SVC) and relates to an ATM signaling method.
FIG. 14 shows a sequence view of communication establish in a case of a conventional Permanent Virtual Connection (PVC). The following will explain a Virtual Channel (VC) connecting operations among a PBX 30 of originating side, an ATM network 20, and a PBX 31 of destinating side in prior art. Here, the PBX 30 of originating side and the PBX 31 of destinating side are connected to the ATM network 20 through an ATM transmission apparatus.
In the ATM network 20, a VC is permanently connected by a PVC. When the PBX 30 of originating side sends setup signals, the ATM network 20 permanently relays the setup signals to the PBX 31 of destinating side by a PVC. Similarly, a telephone number sent from the PBX 30 of originating side is relayed to the PBX 31 of destinating side. A ring back tone or a busy tone is transmitted to the PBX 30 of originating side from the PBX 31 by a PVC. Here, when the PBX 31 of destinating side responses, connection is established by a PVC. After the connection, when the PBX 30 of originating side sends a disconnect request, it is relayed to the PBX 31 of destinating side by a PVC.
Next, FIG. 15 shows a sequence view of conventional communication establish in the ITU-T (International Telecommunication Union-Telecommunication) standardization sector, Q. 2931.
Hereinafter, VC connecting operations among the PBX 30 of originating side, a PBX interface 10 of originating side, the ATM network 20, a PBX interface 11 of destinating side and the PBX 31 of destinating side will be explained. Each of the PBX interfaces 10 and 11 comprises a non-ATM signaling interface section 2 and an ATM signaling interface section 3.
When the PBX 30 of originating side sends the setup signal, the non-ATM signaling interface section 2 of the PBX interface 10 receives the setup signals of a PBX and waits for reception of a telephone number. Upon receipt of the telephone number, the non-ATM signaling interface section 2 conducts an analysis of number, and sends a setup request of originating side to the ATM signaling interface section 3. The ATM signaling interface section 3 converts the telephone number to ATM address and sends a SETUP message to the ATM network 20. The ATM network 20 relays the SETUP message.
Upon receipt of the SETUP message from the ATM network 20, the ATM signaling interface section 3 of the PBX interface 11 of originating side converts ATM address to the telephone number and sends a setup request of destinating side to the non-ATM signaling interface section 2. The non-ATM signaling interface section 2 sends an alert indication to the ATM signaling interface section 3 after sending the setup signal and telephone number to the PBX 31. The ATM signaling interface section 3, which has received the alert indication, sends an ALERT message to the ATM network 20, and the ATM network 20 relays it to the PBX interface 10.
The ATM signaling interface section 3 of the PBX interface 10 of originating side receives the ALERT message from the ATM network 20. At this time, the PBX 31 of destinating side sends the ring back tone and busy tone but these tones are not relayed between the PBX 30 of originating side and the PBX 31 of destinating side.
Upon receipt of response signals from the PBX 31 of destinating side, the non-ATM signaling interface section 2 of the PBX interface 11 of destinating side sends a response request to the ATM signaling interface section 3. The ATM signaling interface section 3, which has received the response request, sends a CONNECT message to the ATM network 20. The ATM network 20 relays the CONNECT message and sends back a connect acknowledge (CONN ACK) message.
Upon receipt of the CONNECT message from the ATM network 20, The ATM signaling interface section 3 of the PBX interface 10 of originating side sends a response request to the non-ATM signaling interface section 2. After receiving the response request, the non-ATM signaling interface section 2 of originating side sends response signals to the PBX 30 of originating side, and a connection path is established.
At the time of transmitting PBX traffic using an ATM network, a band for PBX traffic of an ATM network was always occupied regardless of use or nonuse when PBX traffic was transmitted in an ATM network by a PVC of permanent connection as in prior art, so that the merit of statistic multiplexing, which was a merit of an ATM, was not obtained. Also, since the connection of an ATM network was the permanent connection, relay and exchange of PBX traffic were performed by a PBX. For this reason, according to this system, the number of interface circuit unit cards provided between an ATM cell assembly and disassembly section and a PBX for relay was increased, and extra communication channels and bands up to the PBX for relay were needed. Then, there was a possibility that the entirety of network would be noncommunicable when the ATM cell assembly and disassembly section containing a PBX for relay was down. Moreover, since the connection of an ATM network was the permanent connection regardless of use and nonuse, traffic statistic of a PBX was not controlled on an ATM network.
Further, no user VC is connected until the CONNECT message is received when connection establish system in the ITU-T Q. 2931 is employed as in prior art. This causes a problem in which information, which is sent to an apparatus of originating side from the apparatus of destinating side during the connection, cannot be transmitted on a user VC. For example, connection information such as the ring back tone of a PBX of destinating side, and the busy tone cannot be transmitted to a PBX of originating side through an ATM network. Furthermore, since the signaling convert section has no function of receiving and analyzing signaling information for PBX communication establish, the impetus for call out, call in, call end cannot be recognized at the time of using a SVC in an ATM network.
In consideration of the aforementioned problems, the present invention aims to make effective use of a band and the respective apparatuses by employing a SVC in an ATM network comprising communication apparatuses such as a PBX, etc. Also, an object of the present invention is to transmit connection information (ring back tone, busy tone, etc.) of a communication apparatus of destinating side during the connection to a communication apparatus of originating side.
Moreover, it is an object of the present invention to count and collect call duration of a communication apparatus on the basis of call duration of an ATM network. Furthermore, the object of the present invention is that a signaling convert section reports a use band to an ATM network, so that an ATM band to be used by a communication apparatus is set on the basis of a configuration.
According to a first solving means of the present invention, there is provided an ATM signaling apparatus, which connects a communication apparatus to an ATM network so as to allow communications between a plurality of communication apparatuses to be carried out through said ATM network, said apparatus comprising:
a signaling convert section having means for receiving and transmitting first signaling information to be used in the communication apparatus from/to the communication apparatus, means for receiving and transmitting ATM signaling information to be used in the ATM network from/to the ATM network, means for interworking said first signaling information and said ATM signaling information, and means for interworking a first signaling process and an ATM signaling process; and
a cell assembly and disassembly section for cell assembling user information from said communication apparatus to be transmitted to said ATM network on one hand and for cell disassembling user information from said ATM network to be transmitted to said communication apparatus on the other hand, whereby establishing and disconnecting communications between communication apparatuses in accordance with said ATM signaling process.
Also, in the ATM signaling apparatus of the present invention, wherein said signaling convert section comprises:
a first signaling interface having means for controlling a status of said communication apparatus, means for receiving and transmitting said first signaling information from/to said communication apparatus, means for converting said first signaling information to said ATM signaling information, and means for converting said first signaling process to said ATM signaling process;
an ATM signaling interface having means for controlling a status of said ATM network, means for receiving and transmitting said ATM signaling information from/to said ATM network, means for converting said ATM signaling information to said first signaling information, and means for converting said ATM signaling process to said first signaling process; and
means for receiving and transmitting information between said first signaling interface and said ATM signaling interface.
According to a second solving means of the present invention, there is provided an ATM signaling method, which connects a communication apparatus to an ATM network so as to allow communications between a plurality of communication apparatuses to be carried out through said ATM network, said method comprising:
a function of receiving and transmitting first signaling information used in the communication apparatus from/to the communication apparatus;
a function of converting said first signaling information to ATM signaling information to be used in the ATM network;
a function of converting a first signaling process used in the communication apparatus to an ATM signaling process to be used in the ATM network;
a function of receiving and transmitting said ATM signaling information from/to said ATM network;
a function of converting said ATM signaling information to said first signaling information;
a function of converting said ATM signaling process to said first signaling process; and
a function of cell assembling user information from said communication apparatus so as to be transmitted to said ATM network on one hand, and cell disassembling user information from said ATM network to be transmitted to said communication apparatus on the other hand, whereby establishing and disconnecting communications between communication apparatuses in accordance with said ATM signaling process.